Australia is searching for a small radioactive capsule believed to have been lost on a desert highway

MELBOURNE, Jan. 30 (Reuters) – Rio Tinto Ltd (RIO.AX) He apologized on Monday for the loss of a small radioactive capsule believed to have fallen from a truck that triggered a radiation alert across parts of the vast state of Western Australia.

It’s unclear how long the radioactive capsule, part of a scale used to measure the density of the iron ore feed, was missing.

The gauge was captured by a specialist contractor from the Godai Dare mine site in Rio on January 12. When it was discharged for inspection on 25 January, the gauge was found broken, with one of the four fixing screws missing and two gold gauge screws also.

Authorities suspect that vibrations from the truck caused screws and bolts to loosen, and the radioactive meter capsule fell out of the package and then exited a recess in the truck.

Authorities are now grappling with the daunting task of trawling the truck’s 1,400km (870-mile) journey from North Newman – a small town in the remote Kimberley region – to a storage facility on the northeastern outskirts of Perth – a distance longer than the length of Great Britain.

“We take this incident very seriously,” Simon Trott, head of Rio Iron Ore Division, said in a statement.

The silver capsule, which is 6 millimeters (mm) in diameter and 8 mm long, contains cesium-137 which emits radiation equal to 10 x-rays per hour.

Authorities have recommended people stay at least five meters (16.5 feet) away because exposure could cause radiation burns or radiation sickness, though they added that the risk to the general community is relatively low.

The state’s Department of Emergency Services established a risk management team and brought in specialized equipment including portable scanning meters to detect radiation levels within a 20-meter radius that can be used from moving vehicles.

Trott said Rio has engaged an outside contractor, with the appropriate experience and certification, to package and transport the scale safely.

“We have completed radiological surveys of all areas at the site where the device was used, surveying roads within the mine site as well as the access road leading to the Godai Dare mine site,” he said, adding that Ryo is also conducting its own investigation into how the loss occurred.

Transporting dangerous goods to and from mine sites was routine, analysts said, adding that such incidents were extremely rare and did not reflect Rio’s poor safety standards.

The accident represents another headache for the mining giant after its 2020 destruction of ancient and sacred rock shelters in Western Australia’s Pilbara region for an iron ore mine.

(Reporting by Melanie Burton) Editing by Edwina Gibbs

Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.